General Longstreet giving orders to colonel Alexander and the commanders participating in the assault. A clip from the movie Gettysburg, www.imdb.com/ti...
Pickett was never the same soldier after this. Before the charge he was one of those “honor and glory” type of officers. The walk across that empty field at Gettysburg with his men dying all around him changed him. PTSD.
You mean from behind the Codori barn. And don't forget Pickett was busy at a shad bake at another important battle,,,NOT being where he was supposed to be..
@@waynebeckham3807 Honestly i expect Leaders in this Situation Not only parley over wine and poetry when they dine togerher. Sometimes i learned, you can clear Things better with a few breadrolls and Not a formal council
If you saw that interview with Shelby Foote in Ken Burns' 'Civil War' series, he said (and I paraphrase) that when you think about it, it would have been much harder not to go than to go. No soldier -not even General Longstreet- had enough courage to tell Lee that he wasn't going.
Union artillery commander Henry Hunt deserves a lot of praise for his role in the battle. Not only did he handle the Union’s artillery adroitly, he had his batteries cease firing at random to make the Confederates think they were knocking out Union batteries. In fact Hunt was just preserving ammunition to counter the attack.
The confederate artillery completely missed their marks. They over shot the Union cannons leaving them to decimate the charge. Which they did. Still, the confederates attacked & were slaughtered.
@@johnshanahan6439 Something about the paper fuses becoming damp during the march up from Virginia, during days of rain, caused the shells to explode later than they were intended.
@@Gallagherfreak100Sometimes I wonder why Alexander didn't check clearly the damage of the Union position before telling Longstreet and Lee about their defensive. I hardly think a man like Lee would order the charge like that when their position still intact without any damage
Here's a bit of trivia for all of you: Brigadier General J. Johnston Pettigrew is played by a former James Bond, George Lazenby! He can be seen in this clip starting at: 1:58
A quote from Stephen Sears's book 'Gettysburg': "General Pickett, from his position behind the advance, ranged back and forth to the best observation sites left and right, so he might better direct events. According to his orderly, Thomas Friend, Pickett 'went as far as any Major General, commanding a division, ought to have gone, and farther.'"
And the Problem is.. Longstreet thought so too. I heared that Longstreet did not want to know if its possible. Both knew its not. You can also see this from the mimik both had in this situation. He wants to knew he will try it for Lee and to make him pround. Because a cancel of the attack without reaching the union line would have a great impact to Lee and the glory/honor perspective many commanders had in this time.
I spent 23+ years in the Army. Several times I would see officers greet each other and one would announce what University he went to. Most of the time, that was the guy that turned out to be difficult to deal with, arrogant, useless or just out for himself.
This is why Lee found himself in the situation at Gettysburg. Stuart's best calvary officers were not with Lee's army because Stuart did not get along with them and they were kept away from Lee so they would not spread rumors about him (Stuart) to Lee.
It was brilliant on Stephen Lang's part to smile when Longstreet asked if he could take the ridge. Pickett was always ready to fight and this was right up his alley. Pickett probably was grinning in real life during the preparation.
Agreed - what is obvious from this scene is how he will push the attack to the utmost - which is what Longstreet finds quietly devastating - he is sending someone who will run head-first into the meat-grinder, and Longstreet is convinced this attack must fail. And George is just the man to ensure that its failure will be as bloody as possible.
(Acknowledging this is a 14 year old comment) Hard to say whether the smiling reaction actually happened, but Pickett was very critical of R.E. Lee in later years over the failure of the charge. If Pickett had reservations ahead of time, they should have been voiced up the chain of command prior to the charge. Otherwise it is rather unfair to enthusiastically endorse a battle plan, but then revoke that endorsement later. This is of course assuming Pickett had the same intelligence on the Federal positions that Lee had.
Several classic scenes in this part; - Longstreet asks Porter his age. When Porter replies "I'm 28, sir." Longstreets' response of "...Uh huh..." - Secondly, I like the way Berringer keeps referring to "Ama-nition" - Also, liked the interaction between Longstreet and Pickett. Longstreets' reluctance and apprehensive state almost meekly in asking, "George...can you take that ridge?" And of course, Pickett's response of only an over overconfident grin and gesture. Thanks for posting
Dont forget Pickett being the last to salute and sensing something about Longstreet's tone, pausing to see his resolution before making his way to his horse.
The youngest fullbird on both sides was 19, how crazy is that. Alot of the ranks were brevet and they lost them after the war (see, Custer who died as a LTC even though he was a major general in the war)
@@robertkrause4861 Longstreet says it plainly in the film as well it being well documented that he pushed back on Lee to not make the charge. Lee was not full briefed on the situation due to Stuart being late to the party and also being sick with diarrhea and possibly heart issues, made the attack haphazardly.
No joke, that is where I stayed when I visited. It was nice and breakfast was included. I also highly recommend the horse guided tour around the battlefield.
No 15,000 men who ever lived could have taken that position. Not Alexander's men, not the legions of Rome. The fact that so many men reached that clump of trees and actually contested its possession is one of the greatest achievements of courage ever displayed. Think what you will about the reasons those men fought, you must admire their incomparable bravery. Also remember that, at the time he gave these orders, General Longstreet was convinced to a moral certainty that the attack would fail. He was a very good student of warfare, and of all Lee's lieutenants, he understood exactly what his troops could and could not achieve. On his deathbed Lee told a friend that, had Jackson lived, he would have won the battle of Gettysburg. One of the reasons for his belief is that, had Jackson commanded his Corps at the battle, this attack would never have taken place.
Don't forget - much of Shaara's book and the belief's of many today are based on Longstreet's highly dubious memoir, in which he is gifted with marvelous 20/20 hindsight. In fact, all that he claimed he thought, felt and said to General Lee at Gettysburg is utter nonsense, and it was disproved by Clifford Dowdey in his magnificent book 'Death of a Nation.' The true story of what happened at Gettysburg is far different from what many believe and what is in 'The Killer Angels' and this film.
We shouldn't be to hard with Gen. Lee here about that specific point, his biggest mistake was rather his wrong choice concerning the question on which side he should act in this war.
@@davidjarkeld2333 Well, we should be fair, the war had eaten up to many soldiers, it was time to get on the way to end this hole thing without any real hope for a good end for the southern staates. Also: good number-one-commanders don't grow on trees. 🤷🏻♂️
While it true the attack was a mistake, a lot of people forget or ignore that Lee was under a lot of pressure both politically and militarily to win a decisive battle up north and was desperate to get it as well. Politically, the confederate President Davis put on a lot of pressure of Lee telling him that they needed a major victory in the north and be in a position to threaten Washington, which would have strengthened the growing peace movement in the North and the opposition party and pressured Lincoln and his government to seek peace on confederate terms. Militarily, Lee also knew he needed a quick and decisive victory so to force a negotiated peace with the federal government that favored the confederation, since it was the only way the confederation could win. Lee knew that the longer the war went on the stronger the Union would get and the weaker he and the confederates would become as the South simply couldn't compete with the industrial might, manpower and resources of the North, making a war of attrition unwinnable especially with the Union's naval blockade on all confederate ports, which put even more pressure on the South's economy Lee had already made attacks on both flanks at Gettysburg and failed a break the Union lines, leaving only the center to attack and didn't want to withdraw due to the pressure he was under to win the battle and was afraid a withdrawal would demoralize his men's moral and believed that this battle was the only chance to he would get to invade the north and win
After 1 July, Lee had no alternative but to either attack or abandon the campaign in failure. His tactical decisions were correct- because errors made by Lee himself before the battle even began placed him and the AoNV in that position.
Well, in Grant's defense, at Shiloh he was several miles away recuperating on a gunboat from wounds he received when a horse fell on him. He couldn't walk without critches. But when he heard the sounds of battle he raced to Pittsburg Landing and spent the day frantically brining up reinforcements and stabilizing the line. Was he in the first rank? No. Sherman, however, DID get wounded twice and have horses shot out from him. Lee stayed behind in most fights too...as the commander should.
Gen Joe Wheeler had 16 horses shot from under him plus another in Cuba in the Spanish American War. Gen Forrest had 31 horses shot from under him. Grant and Sherman were both scared shitless of both of them. Petigrew had a horse shot from under him covering Bobby Lee's withdrawal from Gettysburg.
At Shiloh, and earlier in February 1862, Grant was twice away from his men when they were attacked. The commander of an army can NEVER be away from his men, for any reason, at any time. If he is on leave, ill, or injured as Grant was, then he must inform his superiors and appoint, or have appointed, a replacement who is fully in command of the army until he returns. Now, why was Grant frequently away from his army? So he could go on benders. He would drink himself into a stupor, and went off to do this so he would not be seen by his staff or men. This is dereliction of duty; he nearly lost his job for it in February, and should have lost his job for it after Shiloh, but this time, he and Sherman lied in their after action reports, so Halleck and Lincoln did not remove both of them. They were corrupt men, which they proved throughout their lives.
Actually, the fact was the rebs had to traverse over a mile of open ground totally exposed to fire from three sides. Also they were marching directly into thousands of rifles and dozens of cannons firing double canister and it's amazing that they were able to get to and momentarily pierce Union line before being repulsed. Meade had a good idea that he would be hit in the center and the fact he had interior lines to move men and canon to areas being threatened gave him a distinct advantage.
The soldiers' letters are a treasure trove! For example, the hard-core re-enacting community has gotten a lot of help in making an authentic repro of the CS Columbus Depot shell jacket from reading them, as well as countless other soldiers' items. The soldiers were very descriptive about everything, it seems to me. You've got a great project going, it seems--you're working on a seldom-approached subject, which I think is great--who needs ten more books on Pickett's Charge LOL! Take care!
Actually from reading the books I've learned that Longstreet actually had to get down and carve out the plan in the dirt with a stick since he knew Pickett was not as competent as he would have liked him to be, Longstreet had to tell him everything to do step by step so the plan would hopefully succeed, even though Logstreet knew it would fail.
It doesn't work that way. Pickett was a West Pointer, fought in Mexico, fought superbly earlier in the war, especially on the Peninsula. The reason Longstreet gave him the diagram was because he was the Corps commander and also in charge of the attack - which he bungled. Pickett, as Division commander, was subordinate. There are dozens of different ways to attack - you have to do what the boss tells you. Longstreet completely failed to properly involve A. P. Hill's Corps - and its artillery - and failed to carry out the pont a feu that Lee ordered. I am the only historian who has pointed this out; amazingly, all the rest have overlooked it.
You make it sound like Longstreet himself was firing every artillery gun and controlling every division of infantry. At the end of the day, Longstreet created a comprehensive plan to best complete an impossible objective. The plan was doomed to fail before it began, but if anyone in particular exacerbated the process I would say it was Edward Porter Alexander’s ineffective preliminary fire support and direct fire support solutions due to overshooting.
Well, I just sound like someone who knows how battle plans operate. To begin at the bottom, Alexander could only work with what he was given; it was Longstreet's job to give him the guns and the ammunition to carry out his orders - and Longstreet failed to do this. He also failed to give proper orders to Alexander. Lee ordered a 'pont au feu,' and Longstreet should have replied, "I do not know how to do that." Lee would have responded by taking over the details and doing it properly. Lee's big fault was he was a macro manager and where he could leave Jackson and Stuart to do their work and they'd succeed, he could not do this with Longstreet. Examine the record: from Fair Oaks to the Wilderness, when left on his own, Longstreet either grandly failed, or showed up late, or both. Only when Lee kept him tightly in check or flat-out ordered him to move his ass, e.g. Second Manassas, the Maryland invasion, Fredericksburg, etc. did he succeed. You also have to remember that a great deal of "accepted" Civil War history comes from Longstreet's hugely dishonest memoir. Nowhere, nothing, and no one has ever confirmed his claims, yet they are taken by some as gospel. This is why his book was greeted with such anger by his colleagues. It's not because he criticized Lee, it's because he didn't tell the truth. As just one example, Longstreet speaks with 20/20 hindsight on Gettysburg, claiming he tried to thwart all of Lee's commands from disaster. The problem is, they were never alone - they were surrounded by corps, division and brigade commanders, and their staffs, and Lee's staff...and not a single one of them, at the time in letters and diaries, or after the war, ever stated anything near the conversations Longstreet claimed he had with Lee. What's more, upon publication of his book, not a single one of them confirmed his claims either. How could 30 men standing around Lee and Longstreet, and conversing with them, have never heard a single word Longstreet claimed was spoken? The man's memoir is not accurate or reliable. Historians need to do much revamping because they have foolishly believed Longstreet.
@@ericschafer5505I too agree about Longstreet’s book often being seen as historic gospel. As you said, the book had the benefit of years of hindsight. He also served in the American military after the Civil War which may have affected many of his later views. I understand he was a friend of General/President Grant.
Good to hear from you, sir. When I got my Masters Degrees in History I was taught to read carefully and always question, and it's obvious Longstreet "embellished." Have you ever read Clifford Dowdey's 'Death of a Nation'? Highly recommended for a truly accurate look at Gettysburg.
It's not just Lee pulling rank -it was the sheer force of Lee's personality that made him irresistible. Remember that by this point, Lee had attained nearly angelic status among his men who saw him with reverence.
HE COULD Be BLOODY MINDED !!!and DEAF !!!on Purpose ???ie HOOD Told HIM THEY Have The ROUNDTOP !!!&.TO Drew A FAINT !!!to MAKE The FEDS Leave Thire HIGH Ground And Come AFTER Them.??? BUT NO LEE Would NOT Go Back An INCH ??..BLOODY FOOL g
@@bobdole6768 I doubt many soldiers exactly had the time to write home in the middle of the fight. But after the campaign there was plenty of criticism and some from his own officers.
Tom Berenger and Stephen Lang's performances are brilliant here, but the brilliance of the soundtrack deserves some attention here too. We've been hearing the soaring Main Theme all film, notably when Reynolds arrives and during Chamberlain's charge. But here, as Pickett smiles his huge grin and rides off to lead his division, the theme plays again...in a minor key. Powerfully communicates Pickett's sense of heroism in conjunction with Longstreet's sense of impending doom.
@@timothyfreeman97you want to hear something incredible? Jackson ordered pikes(spears)for his men, but they never wound up getting them because he died when he did and they never got distributed. I believe that in the movie gods and generals that he said the bayonet must be for an American, what the Sarissa was for a Macedonian.
George Lazenby is still my second favorite James Bond. He was so proper and elegantly British as Bond and here he is very believable as a southern officer and gentleman.
U.S. soldiers are bigger, stronger, healthier, better trained and better equipped than at any time in history, no argument. But if you took a few thousand, marched them around for years freezing, starving sometimes barefoot, sick with dysentery and god knows what else, have them fight a dozen major engagements then ask them to undertake a hopeless charge against Hancock's position would they get as far as Pickett's men did? Were people that much tougher in those days?
Not only did the Union do better out west but there were good Union generals out East (Hancock, Reynolds). I do wish the Western Front would get more attention, it's a shame Sherman, George Thomas, Williams Rosecrans and Clebourne aren't as well known as the generals who fought out East.
Absolutely--in a battle like the one depicted here ALL soldiers are afraid. Civil War soldiers were trained to load and fire as fast as possible. As you said, fear is a big issue in effectiveness--CW soldiers often fumbled and dropped rounds and caps while loading. As an illustration of the mental effects you're talking about, at the 2nd Battle of Manassas, the troops of both sides completely froze after long minutes of combat at very close range--their bodies just ceased to function anymore.
In the film, no. In real life, he knew EXACTLY what was going to happen. He penned a quick note to his fiance just before "We have been ordered to launch a frontal attack. May God help us all!"
Such a powerful scene. Longstreet never got over this but it wasn't his fault. Lee made the worst mistake of his career in ordering this charge instead of sidestepping the AoP and heading for DC.
@@manilajohn0182 I feel like you don't have a proper grasp on the strategic situation. Interposing the ANV in between DC and the AoP and forcing Meade to attack him on ground of his choosing is hardly a failure for Lee. It could have ended the war.
@@wntu4 Interposing the ANV in between DC and the AoP and forcing Meade to attack the AoNV was a great idea; in fact, it's what both Lee and Longstreet had originally planned to do. Unfortunately for Lee, the AoNV was in no position to do that after 1 July. 1. Meade's orders were only to protect Washington D.C. and Baltimore, and he had no obligation to attack. 2. The local road net gave the AotP the inside track over the AoNV, in that Lee's army and his supply trains with it couldn't possibly maneuver around the AotP at the operational level. 3. Longstreet's idea of a tactical movement around the Union left wasn't viable because the AotP could shift with him and remain between the AoNV and D.C. 4. The AoNV was foraging off of enemy territory and couldn't remain in any one area for more than 3- 5 days. They hadn't foraged since Lee's concentration order of 29 June and couldn't send out foraging parties in the immediate presence of the AotP. 5. The strategic objective of the campaign was to achieve a great enough success to remove pressure from the Confederate defenders at Vicksburg. Vicksburg had been placed under siege before Lee's campaign even began and the AoNV had taken an excessive amount of time in moving north because of the necessity to forage. 6. Lee's original plan of campaign was predicated on maneuvering the AotP into attacking the AoNV. The unexpected meeting engagement of 1 July ruined this plan of campaign because the minor victory cast the tactical initiative onto Lee. The minor victory of 1 July meant that the AotP- with a new commanding general at the helm- was unlikely in the extreme to carry out any offensive action against the AoNV. All of these factors left Lee with no alternative but to attack on 2 July- or otherwise to abandon the campaign.
@@manilajohn0182 yeah, regarding point 5, Lee probably should have acquiesed to Jefferson Davis' request to send troops to relieve Vicksburg back at the beginning of the month. Had he sent say the Tennessee, Alabama, Mississipi and Louisiana troops west with Longstreet, about 20,000 men, then the Union would have had to send equal numbers over a longer route to reinforce Grant or risk Grant being caught in the middle of Joe Johnston and Pemberton's boys in Vicksburg which probably would have been an equal fight, and might have made a difference, depending on whether Rosecrans could divert some additional troops from his campaign against Bragg to help. point 3 I think is one a lot of people don't look at more deeply, especially on Hood's request to go further around the right. Had he done so, he may have briefly had success as he did IRL, but in the middle of his attack he would be flanked by the 6th Corps which was coming up the road and would have been a pretty even match for him. had Sickles still moved forward like he really did, Longstreets two divisions might have been wiped out since Sickles would be in position to swing around McLaws left flank while the 5th Corps held the center of that southern line and then role Mclaws up. Hancock and the artillery on Cemetery Ridge would have been more than enough to dissuade Anderson's division from making a flank attack on Sickles and the 12 Corps would still be on Culps' Hill when Ewell attacked which could have destroyed Allegheny Johnson's divison. I think the best plan after the first day would have been to pull back to Seminary Ridge and await an attack on the 2nd and with no attack incoming, pull back beyond the Blue Ridge and then use the cavalry to screen their movements west and south back into Virginia, maybe by way of West Virginia taking out the Union presence there.
Porter Alexander had huge responsibility thrust upon him that day, Longstreet had so many reservations about the attack he wanted Alexander to give the word for the advance. Of course he couldn't take on that responsibility and after waiting as long as he could he ended up sending a message to Longstreet saying that if the order to advance wasnt given there would be no more ammunition to support them.Longstreet was so disturbed he could only nod when Pickett ask for permission to advance
Well, I must confess that this Gettysburg flick is so far the best war movie I have ever seen, as in it the troops and officers appear quite real and so are the fighting scenes; and it does justice to both sides and avoids all morale judgement. Shame that there are no such movies about other wars, except maybe Waterloo of 1970; as especially the 20th century wars are depicted in a ridiculous good and evil fashion and have generally pretty poor fighting scenes, in which the guys win always.
Excellent Hollywood romanticism, yes. However, less like the many well documented perspectives of that time. Historical fictions like these are my favourite .
Yes, I too wish there were more movies sympathetic to Nazi's. However, this movie that showed how good the people who fought a war over the right to own other human beings, as property, while portraying them in a noble and sympathetic light is so refreshing.
@@paulv4130 sarcasm doesn't often translate well into text, for that I apologize. What I was trying to illustrate was that the civil war was fought to continue the practice of slavery. The cause for the war was to continue the practice of human being being owned as property. It could be because the soldier or officer actually owned slaves, or the soldier or enlisted person benefited by the economy that the practice of owning human beings as property afforded them. Either way the original poster talked stated 'avoids all morale (sic) judgement," as a positive message. The practices of slavery in the United States was as morally repugnant as the Holocaust that was perpetrated by the Nazi's.
Thank you so much for uploading these clips. My son read The Killing Angels for a paper. I rented the movie, TWICE😂 so I could help him & these clips are extremely helpful to go back & get clarification.
Longstreet was Lee's principal subordinate with the Army of Northern Virginia and served directly under him at the Battle of Second Bull Run, plus Fredericksburg and Antietam, so Lee knew Longstreet well enough. The issue, though, is that Lee (and Jackson) was a military tactician whereas Longstreet was a field general. Both had plenty of experience, and Lee did have a good plan of attack, but Longstreet was looking at Gettysburg from a different angle, thus the overall reluctance on his part.
4:04 - This shot tells the whole story. The long long march to the clump of trees that could only end in fail and sadness. Literally every union gun could be fired down upon the thousands of men on a slow walk across a wide open field. If you notice, Lee is nowhere to be found. It was pure hubris that led to that suicidal charge.
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Wait till we see the Ridley Scott version,where Lee and Meade fight hand to hand on Little Round Top.
Another tragedy of Gettysburg was the charge at Franklin,which Gen Hood was a wounded witness to the outcome of Gettysburg charge, but allowed his emotions in anger against his subordinate officers to boil,then order the Franklin charge against a better in depth Union defense position, enem though the Union soldiers there retreated to a higher ground with reinforcements arriving and none for him.
A charge made with "NO ART. SUPPORT" as per Gen. Hood... can you imagine that! This cost the Lives of 6 Top Confed.Gen.'s including the "Stonewall of the WEST" - GEN.Patrick Ronane CLEBURN!
Also, if you noticed at about 4:45 the way Pickett looked at Longstreet after the comment "All the men who have died in the past are here with you today." Pickett knew that Longstreet had no real faith in this plan, and I think it was just Pickett's egocentric personality that gave Longstreet that grin at the end of the video. Pickett blamed Lee for the rest of his life for the loss of his men at Gettysburg, but I've often wondered if he also blamed Longstreet as well.
Historically speaking, Longstreet was VERY reluctant to proceed with Lee's orders because he thought they would fail, but speculation says that if he'd been more aggressive in carrying out the attack, the Confederates could have taken Gettysburg. But yes, I agree with your assessment on his facial expressions, especially at 5:52, which had continuously eluded me. Pickett's grin--a sign of hoping against hope, too, but he may not have wanted Longstreet to "worry."
There was no manner in which Longstreet could have been more aggressive. Most speculation of that type focuses on the previous day, with the unfounded accusation that Longstreet received orders before dawn but didn’t attack until afternoon. As for Pickett’s charge, General Lee believed the Union must have drawn men from the center to counter the prior attacks on their flanks. Union General Meade anticipated exactly this, and the result was a catastrophe for the Army of Northern Virginia. The blame rests on Lee, not Longstreet.
@@jacksons1010 The timeline of the second day is pretty close, but what many fail to understand is moving two ACW infantry divisions without tipping off the enemy in that country took extra time. You also have to let the men rest after marching to position, or they will be exhausted attacking the Wheatfield and Roundtops. Large ACW formations weren't capable of just sprinting from march formation to line of battle to the attack in minutes. Lee had no idea of the enemy disposition due to Stuart's failure. Lee should have waited and moved to better ground. But we also know the Confederates were short on supply, so had very little strategic flexibility.
That wouldn't surprise me too much. I did a good bit of looking at the ORs when I was in college--their accounts of military operations were fragmentary and scattered. I'm toying with the idea of writing a book on the two Civil War economies, but I'd love to see the National Archives! I'd be very interested in seeing what was withheld from the ORs... Talk to you soon; have a great day, Rebel!
What made this decision by Lee so uncharacteristic is that he had out-generalled the North in so many previous engagements because he had always figured his strategy from the standpoint of being outnumbered. Lee might have prevailed at Gettysburg if he had a larger force, but to make a straight-on attack, uphill, across open ground, against an enemy of superior strength was ill-fated from the start.
Here's a bit of trivia: Jeb Stuart was to attack Hancock's rear and draw as many Union troops as possible away from the stone wall. A newly, and some say mistakenly promoted, Brevet Brigadier General commanding 3 Union Cavalry regiments, engaged Stuart and despite having two horses shot from under him, and not receiving even a scratch, fought Stuart to a draw and prevented him from attacking Hancock's rear and flank. The name of that one star? George Armstrong Custer.
Yes...agreed that was the battle plan to get into the Union back door Arttillery Park while Pickett was knocking at the Front Door. Custer did save the Day with his "Custer Luck" as JEB's Cav. was run down ragged while fighting from York ,Carlyle to Hanover with PLOUGH Farm Horses 🐎 he stole ftom local farmers to replace his Worn out Mounts. Added New 7SHOT spencer rifles also helped Custer outgun Stuart. To his credit CUSTER did play a Hugh part & didn't get the recognition he deserved for the Union Victory!
"A 'feu d'enfer', as Napoleon would call it", meaning 'hellfire'. Due to the high maneuverability of French artillery, Napoleon could mass his guns at specific points in the battlefield and create holes in the enemy line. This tactic had worked for the US in the Mexican war and Union troops actually tried to imitate this in 1st Bull Run, but as rifled muskets had increased the range of infantry weapons, it just ended with the gun crews getting killed (see my video 'American Civil War Tactics').
You definitely know your Civil War history. Where did you study it, or has it just been a hobby & interest for you to know? You've actually given me a few new angles to think about!
Stephen Lang had Pickett with no words; I wonder if HE Knew that it would be devastating to lead a full-on charge (in the middle of a huge field, btw) if not suicidal. It had to be the roughest for a guy that was one of Longstreet's generals that have no control, ultimately, as to what happens.😑
It’s a great movie, but wasn’t there ANYONE there that said to the director….”Look, we’ve got a good thing going here. Everything looks and feels great on this, but for Godsake who the HELL made LongStreet’s beard, and Tom….you think you look good?”
while this movie did show that Longstreet had issues even early on with Lee's tactics.. it didn't stress just how close Longstreet was to completely ignoring Lee's plans, braking the chain of command only out of concern for the integrity of his men's almost unfathomable bravery.
Vladpryde It is a war movie.. I don't see why they would.. and who is banning the confederate flag? Oh you mean take it down from government buildings? YES OF COURSE. You flying it at your house? I could give a rats ass
Michel Roque *Snort* Really? What about monuments and dead Confederate Officers that the butthurt minorities want to dig up and move somewhere else? I believe it's entirely possible that, if they got the Dukes of Hazzard removed from TBS (or whatever broadcast station it was on...was it TNT?), then they could get "Gettysburg" removed from circulation as well.
are those monuments privately owned or government owned? cause if they were government property I would take down the memorial. Why glorify and remember a bunch of people who took up arms against the country you live in? No one is telling you YOU can't fly the flag, but The government should only fly one flag and that is the flag of this nation
what does that have to do with anything? You know who brought down the flag in the State of South Carolina? THE PEOPLE of that state, the GOVERNMENT of that state. what are you gonna say? out of pressure?
Army commanders did indeed find themselves "up front" quite a bit--as you said it certainly boosted morale. I don't believe they were supposed to do that, though; in addition to the risk of the chaos that ensues when an army commander goes down, they can't direct the whole army's effort if they're going from point to point at the front. AS Johnston and Irvin McDowell were less effective because of it, though the troops appreciated seeing them. Cheers, and have a good day, too, Rebel!
Grant didn’t expose himself much in battle, but he didn’t need to. He was at every time accountable by appearing on the marching roads to wherever that army went, in a dusty ass coat and dirty boots, and it rallied them. He also was unflappably tough “4am Courage…” you could tell him the rebels had turn his left flank at 4 am and he would remain as cool as ever.
I'll never forget the scene in this flick, where Hancock was wounded "Damn it all! I will not be moved, till this engagement is decided. Get me a tourniquet before I bleed to death! "
@TheBookflutterby IMO the reason he is "unsung" is because in the post-war years he switched parties, became a republican, endorsed Grant as president, and then was rewarded with a nice customs job in New Orleans, leading many southerners to view him as a traitor and turncoat after the fact.
I never understood why Lee chose to fight this battle with the Union having such advantageous high ground and then I watched a video where a historian explained that Lee's only concern was trying to decapitate the union army and win the war...he had the whole union army at Gettysburg so he chose to try and kill it there.
I have read and read trying to figure out what the hell Lee was thinking when he ordered this charge and I have never figured it out. The guy was some kind of military genius, defeating general after general on the Union side, usually with a smaller force, and in the biggest make or break battle of the entire war, he throws thousands of men straight into a meat grinder, takes horrible casualties, and never really recovers... Did he simply buy into his own myth of invincibility?
This was more a move of desperation on Lee's part. For the first two days he attacked the north flank and south flank respectively of the Union line and to no avail. Lee was frustrated at the fact that the Federals were entrenched on high ground which were key positions at Gettysburg. Lee surmised that the Center of the line must be the weakest as his assumption was that since the north flank (by Seminary Ridge) and the south flank (Round Tops) were attacked furiously enough as to have Meade get those two areas reinforced. However, Meade deduced that since the left and right of his line was attacked that logically his center would be tried as well.
***** When you put it that way you are absolutely right. Lee and his Army were buoyed by the fact they had enjoyed many victories prior to Gettysburg so there definitely might have been an invincibility factor there.
I think a combination of things all culminated in this futile assault. 1. Lee wasn't in good health during this campaign-his failing heart condition was getting worse and possibly affecting his judgment. 2. His "right arm", Stonewall Jackson was gone and I think Lee was frustrated that his new commander Richard 'Baldy' Ewell didn't accomplish what I'm sure Jackson would have. (I'm definitely sure Jackson would have vehemently argued against the madness of a full frontal assault. Jackson recognized the rifled musket made defensive positions nearly impossible to break.) 3. J.E.B Stuart failed to get around the flank and disrupt the lines of communication. 4. I think Lee underestimated General George Meade-who proved himself to be a formidable foe when on the defensive. (Meade expertly placed his army in a large 'fishhook'. This allowed Meade to quickly shift and move reinforcements wherever needed.)
Pickett grinned from ear to ear because he and his men felt all they did was bring up the rear and never saw action. When Longstreet finally gave him and his boys the chance, Pickett probably exploded with excitement.
I remember reading about this one--it happened at a critical time when the Texas Brigade was needed to plug a dangerous hole that developed in Lee's line and to repulse a Union (I think Hancock's) assault at the Wilderness. Had Lee been killed, it would unquestionably have been a Confederate disaster! I'd have been nervous about seeing him at the front, too. Cheers!
For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it’s still not yet two o’clock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it’s all in the balance, it hasn’t happened yet, it hasn’t even begun yet, it not only hasn’t begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin
Respect & admiration for those Southern Men but Thank God the Junior YANKEE Officer core Rose up to the Occasion or we would have 2 seperate country's today! When asked years later after the War...Why the South lost at Gettys. Pickett stated " I believe the UNION ARMY had something to do with that".
I think Grant was a great General. Especially his use of the Anaconda plan to strangle out Vicksburg, but I dont think he was as nearly as good as Lee. Had Lee had the resources that Grant had, then it would not of been a question of who would of won. But Grant was a good General as in finally Lincoln found someone with balls that was willing to do what Lee was willing - losing men if it meant victory. Being true to duty and committing his effort full scale.
@@TheVasMan Because king cotton had enriched so many Yankees and Brits and served as the nucleus that forged the industrial revolution and slavery as a labor resource was accepted for 400 years and framed in the constitution but had fallen from political favor to the point an ambitious Lincoln made it his magic carpet ride to the white house?
Pickett's charge resembles the same outcome of Napoleon's infantry attack on the British center at Waterloo. Napoleon gambled with his middle guard and the most elite infantry in Europe at that time, the Old Guard against a prepared British force on high ground. What more with Pickett's men, marching over open terrain 1 mile with fencing obstructing. Even Napoleon couldn't achieve that, what more Lee? In search for victory, Lee was too anxious to end the war.
No need to go back as far as Waterloo Constantine, look at the battles of Loos, Ypres, the Somme in the First World War, all of them attacks by infantry across open ground against magazine rifles, machine guns and artillery resulting in appalling casualties. (On the first day of the Somme the British Army suffered almost the same losses as the three day battle at Gettsburg.
I saw somewhere a telling of the tale that right before this charge all of the sons of Virginia lay in wait in those woods, staring out across that field. And that, even today, a Virginia boy could imagine himself in that moment, in that place. The future of his country to be thus decided. Maybe it was Shelby Foote, maybe it was in Ken Burns documentary. It brings a tear to my eye. And I'm an Englishman with no ancestors in this struggle. Virginians should be proud of this moment, and the fate of their own ancestors. Old Dominion pride!
Great movie, respects the history. Well cast and acted too. My only real problem with Gettysburg is that Pickett's Charge lacks the emotional heft and punch the Little Round Top battle at the end of the first half.
@whiskeypriest1 Thanks for the EXCELLENT discussion WP. I really enjoy discussing and relating to others point of view when they are as well versed and knowledgeable as you are. I think we've now reached a point where we both have a "somewhat" consensus and understanding of each others views. As General Gorden did at Appomattox, I bow my horse and salute you... Thanks Again, buddy.
Longstreet's suggestion of a maneuver around the Union left was not viable in any manner other than a purely tactical shifting of troops, as the local road net didn't support a wider strategic maneuver. In any case, Lee was effectively out of time for both strategic and logistical reasons and had no alternative but to either attack or abandon the campaign in failure. That said, Lee was in that position because of errors which he made before the battle even began.
No, "a more aggressive Longstreet" probably wouldn't have changed the overall outcome at Gettysburg, but remember he did take a lot of heat for his overall reluctance to carry out Lee's orders. However, I personally believe, as do you apparently, that Longstreet knew well ahead of time that this attack would be a massive failure, but who at that time would have argued with the great General Robert E. Lee?
Longstreet asking Pickett privately if he can take the ridge. The look knowing it can't be done. But Pickett smiles, taking it as a challenge. Then the hours pass, finding out Longstreet was on to something
@Setebos any many interviews tom berenger says this was his favorite role of all time, and he has watched gettysburg more than any of his other movies, he was fantastic in this movie.
I don't think Berenger got near enough the appreciation he deserved for his role as Longstreet in this movie.
Except that Pete Longstreet was noted for his swearing! 🙂
Very Powerful acting....and presentation.
@@williamclifford4441 had to keep it clean because it was a "made for tv" movie. Also why there's very little to no blood, screaming wounded, etc.
Was he rich from the luggage company fortune or sometin?
He was outstanding and maybe the hardest role in the movie.
Translation: "This is complete and utter madness, but we gotta make the best of it, so here it goes.."
Agreeeee
ua-cam.com/video/_h4DZeBleLs/v-deo.html&ab_channel=PunditPlanetMedia
@@DamjanGrušovnik ME TOO !
I stood on the top of little round top and look back I could come up with no other conclusion than they were out of there ever loving minds.
Grand Auction
Pickett was never the same soldier after this. Before the charge he was one of those “honor and glory” type of officers. The walk across that empty field at Gettysburg with his men dying all around him changed him. PTSD.
Lee: General Pickett, sir you must look to your division.
Pickett: General Lee.... I have no division!!!
You mean from behind the Codori barn. And don't forget Pickett was busy at a shad bake at another important battle,,,NOT being where he was supposed to be..
@@tomjones2202
was he not in a conference with his neighbouring division commanders
@@thodan467 it was a luncheon, not a conference. They felt that the Union would not attack since it was later in the afternoon already
@@waynebeckham3807
Honestly i expect Leaders in this Situation Not only parley over wine and poetry when they dine togerher.
Sometimes i learned, you can clear Things better with a few breadrolls and Not a formal council
If you saw that interview with Shelby Foote in Ken Burns' 'Civil War' series, he said (and I paraphrase) that when you think about it, it would have been much harder not to go than to go. No soldier -not even General Longstreet- had enough courage to tell Lee that he wasn't going.
If a general strongly disagrees with his superior he can offer his resignation
Union artillery commander Henry Hunt deserves a lot of praise for his role in the battle. Not only did he handle the Union’s artillery adroitly, he had his batteries cease firing at random to make the Confederates think they were knocking out Union batteries. In fact Hunt was just preserving ammunition to counter the attack.
The confederate artillery completely missed their marks. They over shot the Union cannons leaving them to decimate the charge. Which they did. Still, the confederates attacked & were slaughtered.
The grapeshot alone raised holy hell. Fun Fact, though. When the artillery started the sound carried as far as Washington, DC. Must have been a sight.
@@johnshanahan6439 Something about the paper fuses becoming damp during the march up from Virginia, during days of rain, caused the shells to explode later than they were intended.
@@Gallagherfreak100Sometimes I wonder why Alexander didn't check clearly the damage of the Union position before telling Longstreet and Lee about their defensive.
I hardly think a man like Lee would order the charge like that when their position still intact without any damage
@@thanhhoangnguyen4754 Really hard to see details in battles like that, there's a ton of smoke getting kicked up and they didn't have modern optics.
Here's a bit of trivia for all of you: Brigadier General J. Johnston Pettigrew is played by a former James Bond, George Lazenby! He can be seen in this clip starting at: 1:58
I did not know that. Thanks.
And, speaking as a TarHeel, he nailed the North Carolina accent!
One and done as 007, correct?
That never happened to the other fellow.
Lazenby did his military service in Australia before becoming an actor.
A quote from Stephen Sears's book 'Gettysburg':
"General Pickett, from his position behind the advance, ranged back and forth to the best observation sites left and right, so he might better direct events. According to his orderly, Thomas Friend, Pickett 'went as far as any Major General, commanding a division, ought to have gone, and farther.'"
Longstreet: George...can you take that ridge???
Pickett smiles but in his head hes thinking "hell no...you me and Lee couldnt do this ridiculous shit"
And the Problem is.. Longstreet thought so too.
I heared that Longstreet did not want to know if its possible. Both knew its not. You can also see this from the mimik both had in this situation. He wants to knew he will try it for Lee and to make him pround. Because a cancel of the attack without reaching the union line would have a great impact to Lee and the glory/honor perspective many commanders had in this time.
That is a heartbreaking moment.
I spent 23+ years in the Army. Several times I would see officers greet each other and one would announce what University he went to. Most of the time, that was the guy that turned out to be difficult to deal with, arrogant, useless or just out for himself.
West Pointers do not have to say anything. They just tap their rings.
I was in the Army. The pointers were arrogant, stupid, and useless. ROTC officers were awesome.
The best officers are former enlisted, graduates of OCS.
Pettigrew was not such a man. He was brave, smart, and cunning. In this battle, even Patton would have taken a beating.
This is why Lee found himself in the situation at Gettysburg. Stuart's best calvary officers were not with Lee's army because Stuart did not get along with them and they were kept away from Lee so they would not spread rumors about him (Stuart) to Lee.
Porter, how old are you son?
Sir I'm 28 sir! But I have the hearing of a man of 80!
Being an artillery officer will do that to you.
lmao😂😂😂
It was brilliant on Stephen Lang's part to smile when Longstreet asked if he could take the ridge. Pickett was always ready to fight and this was right up his alley. Pickett probably was grinning in real life during the preparation.
Didnt quite like him as Pickett. OTOH he was DEVASTATING as Stonewall in G&G. Totally aced the role.
Agreed - what is obvious from this scene is how he will push the attack to the utmost - which is what Longstreet finds quietly devastating - he is sending someone who will run head-first into the meat-grinder, and Longstreet is convinced this attack must fail. And George is just the man to ensure that its failure will be as bloody as possible.
Pickett was a paper soldier.
(Acknowledging this is a 14 year old comment) Hard to say whether the smiling reaction actually happened, but Pickett was very critical of R.E. Lee in later years over the failure of the charge. If Pickett had reservations ahead of time, they should have been voiced up the chain of command prior to the charge. Otherwise it is rather unfair to enthusiastically endorse a battle plan, but then revoke that endorsement later. This is of course assuming Pickett had the same intelligence on the Federal positions that Lee had.
@@jdsmith542 B.S.
Several classic scenes in this part;
- Longstreet asks Porter his age. When Porter replies "I'm 28, sir." Longstreets' response of "...Uh huh..."
- Secondly, I like the way Berringer keeps referring to "Ama-nition"
- Also, liked the interaction between Longstreet and Pickett. Longstreets' reluctance and apprehensive state almost meekly in asking,
"George...can you take that ridge?"
And of course, Pickett's response of only an over overconfident grin and gesture.
Thanks for posting
Dont forget Pickett being the last to salute and sensing something about Longstreet's tone, pausing to see his resolution before making his way to his horse.
The youngest fullbird on both sides was 19, how crazy is that. Alot of the ranks were brevet and they lost them after the war (see, Custer who died as a LTC even though he was a major general in the war)
Talk about an ill advised attack!!
@@robertkrause4861 Longstreet says it plainly in the film as well it being well documented that he pushed back on Lee to not make the charge. Lee was not full briefed on the situation due to Stuart being late to the party and also being sick with diarrhea and possibly heart issues, made the attack haphazardly.
He answered, "I'm 29, sir."
Pickett was so distraught at the loss he moved out to Tombstone and joined the cowboys with Curly Bill and Johnny Ringo.
And forgot how to speak correctly
Oh shit that’s the same actor!!! It’s Ike!
@@JohnyZman Maybe he could have a spelling contest with Meade 😅
Lee should have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express just outside of Gettysburg.
Agreed. His plan stunk here. Too bold, too much open space.
No joke, that is where I stayed when I visited. It was nice and breakfast was included. I also highly recommend the horse guided tour around the battlefield.
They got great beds.
Been there once, nice place😉👍
Or the Gettysburg Inn
No 15,000 men who ever lived could have taken that position. Not Alexander's men, not the legions of Rome. The fact that so many men reached that clump of trees and actually contested its possession is one of the greatest achievements of courage ever displayed. Think what you will about the reasons those men fought, you must admire their incomparable bravery. Also remember that, at the time he gave these orders, General Longstreet was convinced to a moral certainty that the attack would fail. He was a very good student of warfare, and of all Lee's lieutenants, he understood exactly what his troops could and could not achieve. On his deathbed Lee told a friend that, had Jackson lived, he would have won the battle of Gettysburg. One of the reasons for his belief is that, had Jackson commanded his Corps at the battle, this attack would never have taken place.
It was brave and heroic indeed, but it ultimately achieved little, other than decimating a Confederate unit
Brandon Korner Veteran units too!!
Adrian Jackson Well that makes it even more pointless then.
Don't forget - much of Shaara's book and the belief's of many today are based on Longstreet's highly dubious memoir, in which he is gifted with marvelous 20/20 hindsight. In fact, all that he claimed he thought, felt and said to General Lee at Gettysburg is utter nonsense, and it was disproved by Clifford Dowdey in his magnificent book 'Death of a Nation.' The true story of what happened at Gettysburg is far different from what many believe and what is in 'The Killer Angels' and this film.
they were fighting for thier country!
Pickett was the one who led the charge, he survived but his divisioned was as good as decimated. And I agree this was Lee's biggest mistake
We shouldn't be to hard with Gen. Lee here about that specific point, his biggest mistake was rather his wrong choice concerning the question on which side he should act in this war.
You don't want to be hard on Lee, he should have lost his command over this fiasco.
@@davidjarkeld2333 Well, we should be fair, the war had eaten up to many soldiers, it was time to get on the way to end this hole thing without any real hope for a good end for the southern staates. Also: good number-one-commanders don't grow on trees. 🤷🏻♂️
While it true the attack was a mistake, a lot of people forget or ignore that Lee was under a lot of pressure both politically and militarily to win a decisive battle up north and was desperate to get it as well.
Politically, the confederate President Davis put on a lot of pressure of Lee telling him that they needed a major victory in the north and be in a position to threaten Washington, which would have strengthened the growing peace movement in the North and the opposition party and pressured Lincoln and his government to seek peace on confederate terms.
Militarily, Lee also knew he needed a quick and decisive victory so to force a negotiated peace with the federal government that favored the confederation, since it was the only way the confederation could win. Lee knew that the longer the war went on the stronger the Union would get and the weaker he and the confederates would become as the South simply couldn't compete with the industrial might, manpower and resources of the North, making a war of attrition unwinnable especially with the Union's naval blockade on all confederate ports, which put even more pressure on the South's economy
Lee had already made attacks on both flanks at Gettysburg and failed a break the Union lines, leaving only the center to attack and didn't want to withdraw due to the pressure he was under to win the battle and was afraid a withdrawal would demoralize his men's moral and believed that this battle was the only chance to he would get to invade the north and win
After 1 July, Lee had no alternative but to either attack or abandon the campaign in failure. His tactical decisions were correct- because errors made by Lee himself before the battle even began placed him and the AoNV in that position.
The actor playing Johnson Pettigrew was George Lazenby, who was James Bond in "On her Majesty's Secret Service."
Johnson Pettigrew from my home state of North Carolina was played by George Lazenby. He was James Bond once.😊
" The post of danger is certainly the post of honor "
James Johnson Pettigrew
Killed 2 weeks later at Falling Waters West Virginia
George Lazenby rather stupidly turned down further appearances as James Bond and Sean Connery got the role.
Well, in Grant's defense, at Shiloh he was several miles away recuperating on a gunboat from wounds he received when a horse fell on him. He couldn't walk without critches. But when he heard the sounds of battle he raced to Pittsburg Landing and spent the day frantically brining up reinforcements and stabilizing the line. Was he in the first rank? No. Sherman, however, DID get wounded twice and have horses shot out from him. Lee stayed behind in most fights too...as the commander should.
Gen Joe Wheeler had 16 horses shot from under him plus another in Cuba in the Spanish American War. Gen Forrest had 31 horses shot from under him. Grant and Sherman were both scared shitless of both of them. Petigrew had a horse shot from under him covering Bobby Lee's withdrawal from Gettysburg.
At Shiloh, and earlier in February 1862, Grant was twice away from his men when they were attacked. The commander of an army can NEVER be away from his men, for any reason, at any time. If he is on leave, ill, or injured as Grant was, then he must inform his superiors and appoint, or have appointed, a replacement who is fully in command of the army until he returns. Now, why was Grant frequently away from his army? So he could go on benders. He would drink himself into a stupor, and went off to do this so he would not be seen by his staff or men. This is dereliction of duty; he nearly lost his job for it in February, and should have lost his job for it after Shiloh, but this time, he and Sherman lied in their after action reports, so Halleck and Lincoln did not remove both of them. They were corrupt men, which they proved throughout their lives.
Longstreet be explaining and drawing maps. If I was there, the fighting would start and I'd be all, "Shit, where was I supposed to go again?"
BeefyLevinson Pickett did that.
jmitterii2 Picket was a mile behind the lines, where a major general should be.
+jc3cp3123 Not Pickett's fault. He was ordered into that charge.
hagamapama It didn't stop the brain-dead southern hicks from blaming him anyway. Poor Picket :(
+BeefyLevinson I think personally I'd heroically advance in a direction away from all the fighting noise. =0
Actually, the fact was the rebs had to traverse over a mile of open ground totally exposed to fire from three sides. Also they were marching directly into thousands of rifles and dozens of cannons firing double canister and it's amazing that they were able to get to and momentarily pierce Union line before being repulsed. Meade had a good idea that he would be hit in the center and the fact he had interior lines to move men and canon to areas being threatened gave him a distinct advantage.
I remember standing where the Confederate soldiers jumped off, looking up that ridge. It was humbling.
The heat of the day didn't help.
The soldiers' letters are a treasure trove! For example, the hard-core re-enacting community has gotten a lot of help in making an authentic repro of the CS Columbus Depot shell jacket from reading them, as well as countless other soldiers' items. The soldiers were very descriptive about everything, it seems to me. You've got a great project going, it seems--you're working on a seldom-approached subject, which I think is great--who needs ten more books on Pickett's Charge LOL! Take care!
I decline to join The Charge herd.
I've got his Salish Sea Fort and
other military works. Also, British,
which Pickett had displaced.
Actually from reading the books I've learned that Longstreet actually had to get down and carve out the plan in the dirt with a stick since he knew Pickett was not as competent as he would have liked him to be, Longstreet had to tell him everything to do step by step so the plan would hopefully succeed, even though Logstreet knew it would fail.
It doesn't work that way. Pickett was a West Pointer, fought in Mexico, fought superbly earlier in the war, especially on the Peninsula. The reason Longstreet gave him the diagram was because he was the Corps commander and also in charge of the attack - which he bungled. Pickett, as Division commander, was subordinate. There are dozens of different ways to attack - you have to do what the boss tells you. Longstreet completely failed to properly involve A. P. Hill's Corps - and its artillery - and failed to carry out the pont a feu that Lee ordered. I am the only historian who has pointed this out; amazingly, all the rest have overlooked it.
You make it sound like Longstreet himself was firing every artillery gun and controlling every division of infantry. At the end of the day, Longstreet created a comprehensive plan to best complete an impossible objective. The plan was doomed to fail before it began, but if anyone in particular exacerbated the process I would say it was Edward Porter Alexander’s ineffective preliminary fire support and direct fire support solutions due to overshooting.
Well, I just sound like someone who knows how battle plans operate. To begin at the bottom, Alexander could only work with what he was given; it was Longstreet's job to give him the guns and the ammunition to carry out his orders - and Longstreet failed to do this. He also failed to give proper orders to Alexander. Lee ordered a 'pont au feu,' and Longstreet should have replied, "I do not know how to do that." Lee would have responded by taking over the details and doing it properly. Lee's big fault was he was a macro manager and where he could leave Jackson and Stuart to do their work and they'd succeed, he could not do this with Longstreet. Examine the record: from Fair Oaks to the Wilderness, when left on his own, Longstreet either grandly failed, or showed up late, or both. Only when Lee kept him tightly in check or flat-out ordered him to move his ass, e.g. Second Manassas, the Maryland invasion, Fredericksburg, etc. did he succeed.
You also have to remember that a great deal of "accepted" Civil War history comes from Longstreet's hugely dishonest memoir. Nowhere, nothing, and no one has ever confirmed his claims, yet they are taken by some as gospel. This is why his book was greeted with such anger by his colleagues. It's not because he criticized Lee, it's because he didn't tell the truth. As just one example, Longstreet speaks with 20/20 hindsight on Gettysburg, claiming he tried to thwart all of Lee's commands from disaster. The problem is, they were never alone - they were surrounded by corps, division and brigade commanders, and their staffs, and Lee's staff...and not a single one of them, at the time in letters and diaries, or after the war, ever stated anything near the conversations Longstreet claimed he had with Lee. What's more, upon publication of his book, not a single one of them confirmed his claims either. How could 30 men standing around Lee and Longstreet, and conversing with them, have never heard a single word Longstreet claimed was spoken? The man's memoir is not accurate or reliable. Historians need to do much revamping because they have foolishly believed Longstreet.
@@ericschafer5505I too agree about Longstreet’s book often being seen as historic gospel. As you said, the book had the benefit of years of hindsight. He also served in the American military after the Civil War which may have affected many of his later views. I understand he was a friend of General/President Grant.
Good to hear from you, sir. When I got my Masters Degrees in History I was taught to read carefully and always question, and it's obvious Longstreet "embellished." Have you ever read Clifford Dowdey's 'Death of a Nation'? Highly recommended for a truly accurate look at Gettysburg.
It's not just Lee pulling rank -it was the sheer force of Lee's personality that made him irresistible. Remember that by this point, Lee had attained nearly angelic status among his men who saw him with reverence.
"Oh Lee, You SCREWED it all up"!
HE COULD Be BLOODY MINDED !!!and DEAF !!!on Purpose ???ie HOOD Told HIM THEY Have The ROUNDTOP !!!&.TO Drew A FAINT !!!to MAKE The FEDS Leave Thire HIGH Ground And Come AFTER Them.??? BUT NO LEE Would NOT Go Back An INCH ??..BLOODY FOOL g
The "Lee worship" was far from universal. Many senior officers and even soldiers wrote critically of his judgement in the fight.
@@althesmith afterwards
@@bobdole6768 I doubt many soldiers exactly had the time to write home in the middle of the fight. But after the campaign there was plenty of criticism and some from his own officers.
Johnson Pettigrew… University of North Carolina…
What an intro!
Tom Berenger and Stephen Lang's performances are brilliant here, but the brilliance of the soundtrack deserves some attention here too. We've been hearing the soaring Main Theme all film, notably when Reynolds arrives and during Chamberlain's charge. But here, as Pickett smiles his huge grin and rides off to lead his division, the theme plays again...in a minor key. Powerfully communicates Pickett's sense of heroism in conjunction with Longstreet's sense of impending doom.
Should have asked air support before the charge
Darvin Gramajo Hot air balloons with cannonballs.
+360Nomad And don't forget long boats, long bowman, and trebuchets.
+jmitterii2 they definitely could have won the day if they had trebuchets and longbowmen. I seriously believe that.
@@timothyfreeman97you want to hear something incredible? Jackson ordered pikes(spears)for his men, but they never wound up getting them because he died when he did and they never got distributed. I believe that in the movie gods and generals that he said the bayonet must be for an American, what the Sarissa was for a Macedonian.
George Lazenby is still my second favorite James Bond. He was so proper and elegantly British as Bond and here he is very believable as a southern officer and gentleman.
U.S. soldiers are bigger, stronger, healthier, better trained and better equipped than at any time in history, no argument. But if you took a few thousand, marched them around for years freezing, starving sometimes barefoot, sick with dysentery and god knows what else, have them fight a dozen major engagements then ask them to undertake a hopeless charge against Hancock's position would they get as far as Pickett's men did? Were people that much tougher in those days?
More "yard work" and less football on T.V. back in them days. Yes, they were that much tougher back then. (Just my opinion)
When you say us soldiers are basically better in every way I would have to disagree.
I've been to Gettysburg 3 times and each time was for only 1 day. It's not enough. I could spend a month there and never get sick of it.
Not only did the Union do better out west but there were good Union generals out East (Hancock, Reynolds). I do wish the Western Front would get more attention, it's a shame Sherman, George Thomas, Williams Rosecrans and Clebourne aren't as well known as the generals who fought out East.
It's just like sports, if it happens in the west, it might as well not have happened.
Every time I watch this my heart sinks and all I can say is tragic.
I have studied military history for decades. This is EXACTLY how imagined these guys. From both sides. Dang!
Absolutely--in a battle like the one depicted here ALL soldiers are afraid. Civil War soldiers were trained to load and fire as fast as possible. As you said, fear is a big issue in effectiveness--CW soldiers often fumbled and dropped rounds and caps while loading. As an illustration of the mental effects you're talking about, at the 2nd Battle of Manassas, the troops of both sides completely froze after long minutes of combat at very close range--their bodies just ceased to function anymore.
Fun fact: The actor playing E. Porter Alexander is James Patrick Stuart. He played the child genius Dr. Zee in "Galactica: 1980."
He also plays Valentino on General Hospital.
@@2snowgirl520 he was also on All My Children as Will Cortland.
His best role, IMO, was on Frasier as the gay ski instructor Guy. He was hilarious in that.
This "George, can you take this ridge?" Followed by Pickets smile and the perfect music always was the best scene in 'Gettysburg for me
Oh my gosh the music crescendo at 5:50 and Pickett's grin. Great bit. He had no idea what was about to happen to him and his men.
In the film, no. In real life, he knew EXACTLY what was going to happen. He penned a quick note to his fiance just before "We have been ordered to launch a frontal attack. May God help us all!"
4:20
What a great movie!! Not enough people have seen this movie.
Such a powerful scene. Longstreet never got over this but it wasn't his fault. Lee made the worst mistake of his career in ordering this charge instead of sidestepping the AoP and heading for DC.
After 1 July, Lee had no other viable alternative. He had to either attack or abandon the campaign in failure.
@@manilajohn0182 I feel like you don't have a proper grasp on the strategic situation. Interposing the ANV in between DC and the AoP and forcing Meade to attack him on ground of his choosing is hardly a failure for Lee. It could have ended the war.
@@wntu4 Interposing the ANV in between DC and the AoP and forcing Meade to attack the AoNV was a great idea; in fact, it's what both Lee and Longstreet had originally planned to do. Unfortunately for Lee, the AoNV was in no position to do that after 1 July.
1. Meade's orders were only to protect Washington D.C. and Baltimore, and he had no obligation to attack.
2. The local road net gave the AotP the inside track over the AoNV, in that Lee's army and his supply trains with it couldn't possibly maneuver around the AotP at the operational level.
3. Longstreet's idea of a tactical movement around the Union left wasn't viable because the AotP could shift with him and remain between the AoNV and D.C.
4. The AoNV was foraging off of enemy territory and couldn't remain in any one area for more than 3- 5 days. They hadn't foraged since Lee's concentration order of 29 June and couldn't send out foraging parties in the immediate presence of the AotP.
5. The strategic objective of the campaign was to achieve a great enough success to remove pressure from the Confederate defenders at Vicksburg. Vicksburg had been placed under siege before Lee's campaign even began and the AoNV had taken an excessive amount of time in moving north because of the necessity to forage.
6. Lee's original plan of campaign was predicated on maneuvering the AotP into attacking the AoNV. The unexpected meeting engagement of 1 July ruined this plan of campaign because the minor victory cast the tactical initiative onto Lee. The minor victory of 1 July meant that the AotP- with a new commanding general at the helm- was unlikely in the extreme to carry out any offensive action against the AoNV.
All of these factors left Lee with no alternative but to attack on 2 July- or otherwise to abandon the campaign.
@@manilajohn0182 yeah, regarding point 5, Lee probably should have acquiesed to Jefferson Davis' request to send troops to relieve Vicksburg back at the beginning of the month. Had he sent say the Tennessee, Alabama, Mississipi and Louisiana troops west with Longstreet, about 20,000 men, then the Union would have had to send equal numbers over a longer route to reinforce Grant or risk Grant being caught in the middle of Joe Johnston and Pemberton's boys in Vicksburg which probably would have been an equal fight, and might have made a difference, depending on whether Rosecrans could divert some additional troops from his campaign against Bragg to help. point 3 I think is one a lot of people don't look at more deeply, especially on Hood's request to go further around the right. Had he done so, he may have briefly had success as he did IRL, but in the middle of his attack he would be flanked by the 6th Corps which was coming up the road and would have been a pretty even match for him. had Sickles still moved forward like he really did, Longstreets two divisions might have been wiped out since Sickles would be in position to swing around McLaws left flank while the 5th Corps held the center of that southern line and then role Mclaws up. Hancock and the artillery on Cemetery Ridge would have been more than enough to dissuade Anderson's division from making a flank attack on Sickles and the 12 Corps would still be on Culps' Hill when Ewell attacked which could have destroyed Allegheny Johnson's divison. I think the best plan after the first day would have been to pull back to Seminary Ridge and await an attack on the 2nd and with no attack incoming, pull back beyond the Blue Ridge and then use the cavalry to screen their movements west and south back into Virginia, maybe by way of West Virginia taking out the Union presence there.
Porter Alexander had huge responsibility thrust upon him that day, Longstreet had so many reservations about the attack he wanted Alexander to give the word for the advance. Of course he couldn't take on that responsibility and after waiting as long as he could he ended up sending a message to Longstreet saying that if the order to advance wasnt given there would be no more ammunition to support them.Longstreet was so disturbed he could only nod when Pickett ask for permission to advance
Well, I must confess that this Gettysburg flick is so far the best war movie I have ever seen, as in it the troops and officers appear quite real and so are the fighting scenes; and it does justice to both sides and avoids all morale judgement. Shame that there are no such movies about other wars, except maybe Waterloo of 1970; as especially the 20th century wars are depicted in a ridiculous good and evil fashion and have generally pretty poor fighting scenes, in which the guys win always.
Excellent Hollywood romanticism, yes. However, less like the many well documented perspectives of that time. Historical fictions like these are my favourite .
Yes, I too wish there were more movies sympathetic to Nazi's.
However, this movie that showed how good the people who fought a war over the right to own other human beings, as property, while portraying them in a noble and sympathetic light is so refreshing.
@@buckrogers7498 really? Give your racism a rest.
@@paulv4130 I was being sarcastic.
@@paulv4130 sarcasm doesn't often translate well into text, for that I apologize.
What I was trying to illustrate was that the civil war was fought to continue the practice of slavery. The cause for the war was to continue the practice of human being being owned as property.
It could be because the soldier or officer actually owned slaves, or the soldier or enlisted person benefited by the economy that the practice of owning human beings as property afforded them.
Either way the original poster talked stated 'avoids all morale (sic) judgement," as a positive message.
The practices of slavery in the United States was as morally repugnant as the Holocaust that was perpetrated by the Nazi's.
Thank you so much for uploading these clips. My son read The Killing Angels for a paper. I rented the movie, TWICE😂 so I could help him & these clips are extremely helpful to go back & get clarification.
And the movie came on two cassettes, IIRC.
Longstreet was Lee's principal subordinate with the Army of Northern Virginia and served directly under him at the Battle of Second Bull Run, plus Fredericksburg and Antietam, so Lee knew Longstreet well enough. The issue, though, is that Lee (and Jackson) was a military tactician whereas Longstreet was a field general. Both had plenty of experience, and Lee did have a good plan of attack, but Longstreet was looking at Gettysburg from a different angle, thus the overall reluctance on his part.
Longstreet always him hawed around, delayed, procrastinated, etc.
5:24 Longstreet: "Why General Pickett, the older you get, the more you look like Stonewall Jackson...."
😂😂😂😂😂
4:04 - This shot tells the whole story. The long long march to the clump of trees that could only end in fail and sadness. Literally every union gun could be fired down upon the thousands of men on a slow walk across a wide open field. If you notice, Lee is nowhere to be found. It was pure hubris that led to that suicidal charge.
Wait till we see the Ridley Scott version,where Lee and Meade fight hand to hand on Little Round Top.
Another tragedy of Gettysburg was the charge at Franklin,which Gen Hood was a wounded witness to the outcome of Gettysburg charge, but allowed his emotions in anger against his subordinate officers to boil,then order the Franklin charge against a better in depth Union defense position, enem though the Union soldiers there retreated to a higher ground with reinforcements arriving and none for him.
A charge made with "NO ART. SUPPORT" as per Gen. Hood... can you imagine that!
This cost the Lives of 6 Top Confed.Gen.'s including the "Stonewall of the WEST" - GEN.Patrick Ronane CLEBURN!
Also, if you noticed at about 4:45 the way Pickett looked at Longstreet after the comment "All the men who have died in the past are here with you today." Pickett knew that Longstreet had no real faith in this plan, and I think it was just Pickett's egocentric personality that gave Longstreet that grin at the end of the video. Pickett blamed Lee for the rest of his life for the loss of his men at Gettysburg, but I've often wondered if he also blamed Longstreet as well.
no he didnt .. in the film he tells picket ive been arguing with lee not to do the charge but lee insisted
"Porter, how old are you son?" "Sir, I'm 28 sir!" "uh-huh" 🤣
Historically speaking, Longstreet was VERY reluctant to proceed with Lee's orders because he thought they would fail, but speculation says that if he'd been more aggressive in carrying out the attack, the Confederates could have taken Gettysburg. But yes, I agree with your assessment on his facial expressions, especially at 5:52, which had continuously eluded me. Pickett's grin--a sign of hoping against hope, too, but he may not have wanted Longstreet to "worry."
I agree, in the film Pickett, aware of the enormous responsibility Longstreet was shouldering, would try to give some reassurance.
There was no manner in which Longstreet could have been more aggressive. Most speculation of that type focuses on the previous day, with the unfounded accusation that Longstreet received orders before dawn but didn’t attack until afternoon. As for Pickett’s charge, General Lee believed the Union must have drawn men from the center to counter the prior attacks on their flanks. Union General Meade anticipated exactly this, and the result was a catastrophe for the Army of Northern Virginia. The blame rests on Lee, not Longstreet.
@@jacksons1010 The timeline of the second day is pretty close, but what many fail to understand is moving two ACW infantry divisions without tipping off the enemy in that country took extra time. You also have to let the men rest after marching to position, or they will be exhausted attacking the Wheatfield and Roundtops. Large ACW formations weren't capable of just sprinting from march formation to line of battle to the attack in minutes.
Lee had no idea of the enemy disposition due to Stuart's failure. Lee should have waited and moved to better ground. But we also know the Confederates were short on supply, so had very little strategic flexibility.
Stephen Lang was amazing in this movie.
That wouldn't surprise me too much. I did a good bit of looking at the ORs when I was in college--their accounts of military operations were fragmentary and scattered. I'm toying with the idea of writing a book on the two Civil War economies, but I'd love to see the National Archives! I'd be very interested in seeing what was withheld from the ORs...
Talk to you soon; have a great day, Rebel!
Did you write that book?
brilliant acting..and thousands of extras reactment societys all through america came together useing there own eguipment ..on the actual battlefield
What made this decision by Lee so uncharacteristic is that he had out-generalled the North in so many previous engagements because he had always figured his strategy from the standpoint of being outnumbered. Lee might have prevailed at Gettysburg if he had a larger force, but to make a straight-on attack, uphill, across open ground, against an enemy of superior strength was ill-fated from the start.
Here's a bit of trivia: Jeb Stuart was to attack Hancock's rear and draw as many Union troops as possible away from the stone wall. A newly, and some say mistakenly promoted, Brevet Brigadier General commanding 3 Union Cavalry regiments, engaged Stuart and despite having two horses shot from under him, and not receiving even a scratch, fought Stuart to a draw and prevented him from attacking Hancock's rear and flank. The name of that one star? George Armstrong Custer.
Yes...agreed that was the battle plan to get into the Union back door Arttillery Park while Pickett was knocking at the Front Door.
Custer did save the Day with his "Custer Luck" as JEB's Cav. was run down ragged while fighting from York ,Carlyle to Hanover with PLOUGH Farm Horses 🐎 he stole ftom local farmers to replace his Worn out Mounts. Added New 7SHOT spencer rifles also helped Custer outgun Stuart. To his credit CUSTER did play a Hugh part & didn't get the recognition he deserved for the Union Victory!
"A 'feu d'enfer', as Napoleon would call it", meaning 'hellfire'. Due to the high maneuverability of French artillery, Napoleon could mass his guns at specific points in the battlefield and create holes in the enemy line. This tactic had worked for the US in the Mexican war and Union troops actually tried to imitate this in 1st Bull Run, but as rifled muskets had increased the range of infantry weapons, it just ended with the gun crews getting killed (see my video 'American Civil War Tactics').
You definitely know your Civil War history. Where did you study it, or has it just been a hobby & interest for you to know? You've actually given me a few new angles to think about!
Love this movie but I always laugh when Tom Berenger snorts at 4:36 LOL
That was not Berenger that snorted. It was a horse that was passing by them off camera in that scene.
-.-
Bas EvlRod
ohh you dont say so sir
Bas EvlRod Nah, it's Berenger.
bwc3821
I enjoy the way he is "impressed" with Porter's experience ~0:32 into the clip ... "Uh huh"
Stephen Lang had Pickett with no words; I wonder if HE Knew that it would be devastating to lead a full-on charge (in the middle of a huge field, btw) if not suicidal. It had to be the roughest for a guy that was one of Longstreet's generals that have no control, ultimately, as to what happens.😑
As a kid, I thought that Gettysburg and Braveheart were the same movie - bizarre, I know lol
Lee failed to listen to his subordinate leaders' inputs and, instead, changed his base tactic (defensive posture) and confusion ensued.
It’s a great movie, but wasn’t there ANYONE there that said to the director….”Look, we’ve got a good thing going here. Everything looks and feels great on this, but for Godsake who the HELL made LongStreet’s beard, and Tom….you think you look good?”
General Pettigrew is being played by George Lazenby, the first James Bond from the many "007" movies.
A lot of Southern'ers agree. Lee was short changed by his recon forces. Stuart left him blind and guessing. The rest is history.
This movie... Gets me every time.
Read the book. One of the best novels ever written.
Bro he completely forgot about air superiority.
while this movie did show that Longstreet had issues even early on with Lee's tactics.. it didn't stress just how close Longstreet was to completely ignoring Lee's plans, braking the chain of command only out of concern for the integrity of his men's almost unfathomable bravery.
I see the Confederate Flag. Are we going to ban Gettysburg now too?
Vladpryde It is a war movie.. I don't see why they would.. and who is banning the confederate flag? Oh you mean take it down from government buildings? YES OF COURSE. You flying it at your house? I could give a rats ass
Michel Roque
*Snort* Really? What about monuments and dead Confederate Officers that the butthurt minorities want to dig up and move somewhere else? I believe it's entirely possible that, if they got the Dukes of Hazzard removed from TBS (or whatever broadcast station it was on...was it TNT?), then they could get "Gettysburg" removed from circulation as well.
are those monuments privately owned or government owned? cause if they were government property I would take down the memorial. Why glorify and remember a bunch of people who took up arms against the country you live in?
No one is telling you YOU can't fly the flag, but The government should only fly one flag and that is the flag of this nation
Michel Roque
So you don't agree with State's Rights? The Right of a State to have individuality from the Federal Government.
what does that have to do with anything? You know who brought down the flag in the State of South Carolina? THE PEOPLE of that state, the GOVERNMENT of that state.
what are you gonna say? out of pressure?
“No 15,000 men ever lived can take that ridge.” You ca. heard the heartbreak and sadness in his voice. Makes be tear up every time 😢
Army commanders did indeed find themselves "up front" quite a bit--as you said it certainly boosted morale. I don't believe they were supposed to do that, though; in addition to the risk of the chaos that ensues when an army commander goes down, they can't direct the whole army's effort if they're going from point to point at the front. AS Johnston and Irvin McDowell were less effective because of it, though the troops appreciated seeing them.
Cheers, and have a good day, too, Rebel!
Grant didn’t expose himself much in battle, but he didn’t need to. He was at every time accountable by appearing on the marching roads to wherever that army went, in a dusty ass coat and dirty boots, and it rallied them. He also was unflappably tough “4am Courage…” you could tell him the rebels had turn his left flank at 4 am and he would remain as cool as ever.
I'll never forget the scene in this flick, where Hancock was wounded "Damn it all! I will not be moved, till this engagement is decided. Get me a tourniquet before I bleed to death! "
@TheBookflutterby IMO the reason he is "unsung" is because in the post-war years he switched parties, became a republican, endorsed Grant as president, and then was rewarded with a nice customs job in New Orleans, leading many southerners to view him as a traitor and turncoat after the fact.
I never understood why Lee chose to fight this battle with the Union having such advantageous high ground and then I watched a video where a historian explained that Lee's only concern was trying to decapitate the union army and win the war...he had the whole union army at Gettysburg so he chose to try and kill it there.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Union forces win a major and just as important Battle of Vicksburg that same week?
The Oscar for Worst Fake Beard goes to ....
I have read and read trying to figure out what the hell Lee was thinking when he ordered this charge and I have never figured it out. The guy was some kind of military genius, defeating general after general on the Union side, usually with a smaller force, and in the biggest make or break battle of the entire war, he throws thousands of men straight into a meat grinder, takes horrible casualties, and never really recovers... Did he simply buy into his own myth of invincibility?
This was more a move of desperation on Lee's part. For the first two days he attacked the north flank and south flank respectively of the Union line and to no avail. Lee was frustrated at the fact that the Federals were entrenched on high ground which were key positions at Gettysburg. Lee surmised that the Center of the line must be the weakest as his assumption was that since the north flank (by Seminary Ridge) and the south flank (Round Tops) were attacked furiously enough as to have Meade get those two areas reinforced. However, Meade deduced that since the left and right of his line was attacked that logically his center would be tried as well.
***** When you put it that way you are absolutely right. Lee and his Army were buoyed by the fact they had enjoyed many victories prior to Gettysburg so there definitely might have been an invincibility factor there.
They almost did it. He almost broke through the line. Blame the calvery.
Check out George R. Stewart's book on Pickett's charge. He does a great job explaining Lee's mindset and why Pickett's charge made sense to him.
I think a combination of things all culminated in this futile assault.
1. Lee wasn't in good health during this campaign-his failing heart condition was getting worse and possibly affecting his judgment.
2. His "right arm", Stonewall Jackson was gone and I think Lee was frustrated that his new commander Richard 'Baldy' Ewell didn't accomplish what I'm sure Jackson would have. (I'm definitely sure Jackson would have vehemently argued against the madness of a full frontal assault. Jackson recognized the rifled musket made defensive positions nearly impossible to break.)
3. J.E.B Stuart failed to get around the flank and disrupt the lines of communication.
4. I think Lee underestimated General George Meade-who proved himself to be a formidable foe when on the defensive. (Meade expertly placed his army in a large 'fishhook'. This allowed Meade to quickly shift and move reinforcements wherever needed.)
Pickett grinned from ear to ear because he and his men felt all they did was bring up the rear and never saw action. When Longstreet finally gave him and his boys the chance, Pickett probably exploded with excitement.
I remember reading about this one--it happened at a critical time when the Texas Brigade was needed to plug a dangerous hole that developed in Lee's line and to repulse a Union (I think Hancock's) assault at the Wilderness. Had Lee been killed, it would unquestionably have been a Confederate disaster! I'd have been nervous about seeing him at the front, too.
Cheers!
Yes! That battle was amazing. So sad that the right for white men to own human beings was ultimately lost.
For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it’s still not yet two o’clock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it’s all in the balance, it hasn’t happened yet, it hasn’t even begun yet, it not only hasn’t begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin
Respect & admiration for those Southern Men but Thank God the Junior YANKEE Officer core Rose up to the Occasion or we would have 2 seperate country's today!
When asked years later after the War...Why the South lost at Gettys.
Pickett stated " I believe the UNION ARMY had something to do with that".
Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!
Imagine filming this in July, with the heat and humidity in wool outfits... brutal.
I think Grant was a great General. Especially his use of the Anaconda plan to strangle out Vicksburg, but I dont think he was as nearly as good as Lee. Had Lee had the resources that Grant had, then it would not of been a question of who would of won. But Grant was a good General as in finally Lincoln found someone with balls that was willing to do what Lee was willing - losing men if it meant victory. Being true to duty and committing his effort full scale.
I need to look this up. Berenger and Lang in the same film is one hell of a combination.
The chills when the commanders said to Longstreet that it's an honour to be here on this day. You can really feel the Respect and Honour of the South.
Yeah you almost forget they are the bad guys.
@@TheVasMan Because king cotton had enriched so many Yankees and Brits and served as the nucleus that forged the industrial revolution and slavery as a labor resource was accepted for 400 years and framed in the constitution but had fallen from political favor to the point an ambitious Lincoln made it his magic carpet ride to the white house?
@@TheVasMan More like tragic heroes.
Pickett's charge resembles the same outcome of Napoleon's infantry attack on the British center at Waterloo.
Napoleon gambled with his middle guard and the most elite infantry in Europe at that time, the Old Guard against a prepared British force on high ground.
What more with Pickett's men, marching over open terrain 1 mile with fencing obstructing. Even Napoleon couldn't achieve that, what more Lee? In search for victory, Lee was too anxious to end the war.
No need to go back as far as Waterloo Constantine, look at the battles of Loos, Ypres, the Somme in the First World War, all of them attacks by infantry across open ground against magazine rifles, machine guns and artillery resulting in appalling casualties. (On the first day of the Somme the British Army suffered almost the same losses as the three day battle at Gettsburg.
Confederate pride
I saw somewhere a telling of the tale that right before this charge all of the sons of Virginia lay in wait in those woods, staring out across that field. And that, even today, a Virginia boy could imagine himself in that moment, in that place. The future of his country to be thus decided. Maybe it was Shelby Foote, maybe it was in Ken Burns documentary. It brings a tear to my eye.
And I'm an Englishman with no ancestors in this struggle. Virginians should be proud of this moment, and the fate of their own ancestors. Old Dominion pride!
Great movie, respects the history. Well cast and acted too. My only real problem with Gettysburg is that Pickett's Charge lacks the emotional heft and punch the Little Round Top battle at the end of the first half.
The fake beards are atrocious though 😁
Agreed@@halfrightface
5:38 IMO, one of the most dramatic moments in the film
The cannons could be heard in surrounding states. A dumb charge, but classic.
The border with Maryland is not far to the south of Gettysburg.
Interesting that you mention that - They found a musket at Gettysburg with 22 balls loaded, never fired...Pretty remarkable.
Sir. I have no Division! That was a massive blunder
@whiskeypriest1 Thanks for the EXCELLENT discussion WP. I really enjoy discussing and relating to others point of view when they are as well versed and knowledgeable as you are. I think we've now reached a point where we both have a "somewhat" consensus and understanding of each others views. As General Gorden did at Appomattox, I bow my horse and salute you... Thanks Again, buddy.
Longstreet's suggestion of a maneuver around the Union left was not viable in any manner other than a purely tactical shifting of troops, as the local road net didn't support a wider strategic maneuver. In any case, Lee was effectively out of time for both strategic and logistical reasons and had no alternative but to either attack or abandon the campaign in failure. That said, Lee was in that position because of errors which he made before the battle even began.
Lord only knows how much blood spilled that day. My thanks to every man fighting for his country. Don't that make you think?
No, "a more aggressive Longstreet" probably wouldn't have changed the overall outcome at Gettysburg, but remember he did take a lot of heat for his overall reluctance to carry out Lee's orders. However, I personally believe, as do you apparently, that Longstreet knew well ahead of time that this attack would be a massive failure, but who at that time would have argued with the great General Robert E. Lee?
Later, Pickett lost all of his men.
Longstreet asking Pickett privately if he can take the ridge. The look knowing it can't be done. But Pickett smiles, taking it as a challenge. Then the hours pass, finding out Longstreet was on to something
They filmed this at the actual location 129 years after the battle and even used a UAV to film Pickett’s Charge.
This clip is 15 years old? The picture quality is great!
For those who like to read more on Picketts Charge, I highly recommend reading George R Stewart, Picketts Charge.
One of the things I hated about this flick were the AWFUL beards on the actors.
@Setebos any many interviews tom berenger says this was his favorite role of all time, and he has watched gettysburg more than any of his other movies, he was fantastic in this movie.